The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Material-removal systems can use a fluid-blasting, spray-head assembly (hereinafter referred to as “spray-head assembly”) to remove material from a surface. The spray-head assembly can direct a stream of high-pressure fluid onto a surface to remove material therefrom.
The spray-head assembly typically includes individual fluid bars that each rotate about an associated pivot. Each fluid bar is spaced apart and disposed within separate shrouds or housings and rotates therein. The shroud is open on one side to allow the pressurized fluid from the fluid bar to be directed toward the working surface. Each rotating fluid bar has an effective area or sweep over which the pressurized fluid is directed. The rotation of the fluid bar results in a circular sweep with a diameter that is related to the length of the fluid bar and the distance from the surface. To increase the effective area of the spray-head assembly, the multiple fluid bars are arranged so that the sweep of the individual rotating fluid bars overlaps one another as the spray-head assembly is moved over the surface. The use of individual or separate shrouds for each fluid bar, however, can result in a large spray-head assembly. The larger the spray-head assembly is, the more difficult it can be to control the spray-head assembly and/or maneuver the spray-head assembly into confined spaces or restricted areas. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a spray-head assembly that allows for overlapping sweeps of the spray patterns while reducing the overall size of the spray-head assembly.